Motor Sports

The top speed for most NASCAR cars is about 200 mph. NASCAR frequently tweaks the rules and regulations to adjust to the current conditions, which make the top speeds attained in each race slightly different. In January 2013, the fastest car at Daytona Beach reached over 206 mph.

A:Funny cars are designed to be faster than the average automobile, and while each individual car may have its own unique horsepower output, funny cars are often seen traveling at speeds of more than 300 miles per hour. Horsepower capabilities for these racing cars are typically upwards of 6,000 HP, often maxing out around 8,000 HP.

A:Supercross is a type of motorcycle racing that involves the use of off-road bikes on man-made dirt courses that are often held in a stadium or arena. Supercross riders must be skilled not only at maneuvering a motorcycle around sharp turns and at high speeds, they must also be capable of successfully negotiating the jumps that are built into the dirt track. Though supercross is very similar to motocross, the two sports are separate entities.

A:Funny cars are so named because they have some quirky features, such as the fact that the entire body of the car has to move in order to let a driver get in or out. These drag racing cars typically have a standard metal chassis over which a carbon fiber or fiberglass body shell is fitted.

A:In the context of motorcycle sports, an enduro race is an outdoor motorcycle race that is designed not only to test a rider's speed but also his or her physical and mental endurance, which is where the event's name derives. Races often span miles and last for hours, with participants expected to negotiate rugged outdoor conditions.

A:NASCAR races run counter-clockwise because left turns are safer on oval tracks since the drivers sit on the left side of the vehicle, and the right-hand side would hit the wall in an accident. Left-hand turns are also easier for the driver to make while sitting on the left side.

A:The world's first drag races took place in California's Mojave Desert, where dried-out lake beds provided the perfect locale for uninterrupted racing. According to the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), drag racing's official governing body, an American man named Wally Parks is largely responsible for the development of organized drag racing. After serving in World War II, Parks helped to found the first organized drag racing body, the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), which held its first official event in California's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1949.

A:Different tracks, such as the Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota and the Santa Pod Raceway in Bedfordshire, England, have claimed to be in some way or another the "fastest drag racing strip in the world." Brainerd International Raceway's claim is based on the fact that a world record speed of 337.58 miles per hour was set there in 2005.

A:A hare scramble is a type of off-road, outdoor motorcycle race. These are at least semi-official races that are performed on a designated course that is typically more than 2 miles long. In addition to variations in distance, hare scramble races can also vary in average race time.

A:Though the backflip was once considered a physically impossible and dangerous move, Caleb Wyatt proved that it was possible by successfully executing a flip on a motorcycle in 2002. According to ESPN, Wyatt was the first person to correctly execute a full backflip on a full-size motorcycle; another professional rider, Carey Hart, attempted a backflip in 2001, but didn't successfully complete the trick. After Wyatt's successful execution of the single backflip, what was once considered a dangerously impossible stunt became a standard part of freestyle motocross competition.

A:The 24 Hours of Le Mans, or 24 Heures du Mans, is a world-class endurance racing event held annually in Le Mans, France. Teams of three drivers take turns driving a team vehicle around the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe for 24 hours. The team that covers the most miles wins the prestigious event.

A:American Shirley Muldowney has been given the nickname "the First Lady of Drag Racing" thanks to her trailblazing efforts at a time when not many women were involved with the sport. In addition to being a pioneer for women in a male-dominated sport, Muldowney is also a record-breaking racer. Muldowney was the first woman to receive an official Top Fuel dragster license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), the governing body of drag racing, and she went on to win multiple NHRA Top Fuel championships. Muldowney's wins in 1977 and 1980 made her the first person to ever win two Top Fuel titles.

A:Freestyle motocross is a style of motorcycle competition that focuses on stunts and tricks rather than speed and agility. Riders can be seen performing high jumps on their bikes while also carrying out acrobatic stunts such as full flips while seated on the motorcycle and handstands on their bike's seat. This motocross sporting variation is highly risky and can result in serious injury, meaning that its participants must be highly skilled and well trained in order to ensure the safest possible ride.

A:There is a risk involved with professional, organized drag racing that takes place on a track, but given how many people have participated in these events over the years and how rare serious injury or death is, it can be considered a reasonably safe, though risky, activity. Drag racing is overseen by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), a professional organization which has implemented many safety standards for professional drag racers. The NHRA is particularly quick to respond with the implementation of new safety regulations after a fatal accident.

A:In its first year, 1974, the Women's Motocross Nationals competition was known as the Powder Puff National Championship. Women have been steadily involved in motocross for decades, and though it took the women's event some years to be fully recognized, by the early 21st century, women's motocross events came to resemble men's events, with some high-profile racers enjoying corporate sponsorships from companies such as Honda and Red Bull. Some of the biggest female names in motocross through the decades include Sue Fish, Mercedes Gonzalez, Dee Wood, Jessica Patterson and Ashley Fiolek.

A:The sport of motocross was first developed in the United Kingdom, with the first official off-road motorcycle race taking place in 1924 in a British town called Surrey. At this point, motocross competition events were known as scrambles, with the sport as a whole referred to as scrambles racing. The motocross name grew out of a combination of the French word for motorcycle, "motocyclette," and the words "cross country," which described the outdoor racing conditions in which the sport typically takes place.

A:Legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, sometimes referred to as Dale Earnhardt Sr. in the wake of his namesake son's successful career, won the Daytona 500 for the first time in 1998. This victory came after 20 years of unsuccessful attempts at a win in this particular race.

A:As of April 17, 2014, Bill Elliott tops the list of fastest qualifying track records in NASCAR history, having driven 212.809 mph at Talladega in 1987. In that same year, he drove 210.364 mph at Daytona, earning NASCAR's second-fastest time.

A:While the International Speedway Corporation does not release the official attendance figures, an estimated 250,000 fans attend the Daytona 500 each February. According to Yahoo! Sports, the event is the third most-attended sporting event in the country, trailing just the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400.

A:Jamie McMurray is the NASCAR driver who won the Daytona 500 while leading the fewest laps during the race. This happened in 2010, when McMurray led for only two laps before pulling ahead in the end to win the Daytona 500.